The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-14
ElFIE.

ELLIE.
1t was last Christmas that 1 first met
and fell in love with Ellie; it was last
Christmas that my devoted humble adj
mration of women in general changed in
one moment into love, devoted, humble
and unutterable, for woman-Or rather,
grim particular.
| met LCr at II party at our vicar 3,
WHITTIER | lad escorted my mother and
sister. These vicarage parties are yearly
affairs, to which the prominent, long es-
tablished members of Dr. Ridgway's
flock are invited; and they border ON the
uncomfortable. / arrived at a little past
2 with my mother and sister, who had
both Lcen dressed and aching to be gone
for three-quarters of an hour. There
were the usual signs of Christmas fes-
tivity inside the vicarage: "A Peaceful
Christmas was inscribed over the draw
ing room door, III red paper letters, run
ning all down at one corner; a bunch OF
green hanging from the hall lamp;
welcome in holly leaves, on a white
ground, lower down the hall; "A Happy
New Year!'' i'll letters that began very
large and ended a good deal smaller, run
ming up beside the staircase.
Miss Ridgway greeted us kindly, but as
from great height, and supplied us with
refreshment. Passing across the hall we
were met by the younger Miss Ridgway,
Miss Lotto.
II can't think how it is you come to
our dreadful parties, said Miss Lottie to
me, i'm low, confidential tones, as she
accompanied us into the drawing room.
They are perfectly unbearable, and
dreadfully dull! | can't imagine what
papa means by being SO stupid"
The evening dragged ON for a quarter
of an hour or SO. Miss Ridgway played
a fuguc. the like of which for difficulty
and ugliness was never heard; Miss Lot
tie~sang a ballad. Il Only-Ask Thy Heart
and Home" and shy young man, Of
apopletic appearance, put his life in i'm
mincnt peril over the high notes in Gou-
mods Nazareth"
Twas standing near n group Of doomed
creatures. who were fitting their aching
eyes to stereoscopes, and talking in whis-
pers of the views thus obtained, when the
drawing room door was thrown open and
the last visitors arrived-a delicate, re-
fined looking, middle aged lady; entering
behind her came the embodiment of all
my vague dreams of the beautiful, a
a vision, a-pshaw, beg pardon of the
practical-behind her entered tall, fair
girl of eighteen, whose delicate skin and
short. curly, golden hair were most be-
comingly set off by plain, black velvet
gown.
Here Mrs. Reid at last!' said Lot
tie Ridgway, who was still beside me.
They re new parishioners, the Reids.
We asked the professor, too; but his wife
says he never goes to parties-awful old
man. l suppose you think Ellie Reid
pretty: and SO she is, or would be if she
were not 50 shy and quiet. l do like q
girl to have little sparkle!'
But had no longer any ears for Miss
Lottie's condolences; l had no longer any
eyes for the sparkle which she priced
SO highly in herself, and the lack of
which she deplored in others. My heart
leapt out from behind my dress shirt
front, flew across the vicarage drawing
room and went into Ellie Reds keeping
forever.
l got an introduction to Mrs. Reid;
got an introduction to her lovely daugh-
ter. Armed with a large book of Italian
views, / sat down beside the latter. No
longer was the evening dull and slow; no
longer were books of views a mockery
and an insult. We looked at the views
together. explained them to her. She
glanced at me out of her shy. pansy blue
eyes, she smiled and showed the lovehest
If teeth; she said the views were Every
fine and most interesting" She also said:
Thank you very much for showing them
to me. us | reluctantly closed the volume.
don't know that she said much more
than that. When no one was speaking
To her she sat quite still, her mittened
hands folded-so refreshingly calm and
quiet! SO fair and innocent-in her simple
black velvet frock. with white frills at the
throat and elbows-so different from the
ordinary drawing room bellies, who must
needs always be biting their lips to show
how pretty and red they are, and flash
ing and winking their eyes to show how
large and bright they are; ogling, grin
ming, struggling. grimacing, and, II
their ridiculous consciousness of beauty
going almost as near spelling that beauty
as even their rivals could wish!
Such was my first meeting with Ellie
In the weeks that followed I set all my
ingenuity to work-and ingenuity urget
on by love develops to a wonderful ex
tent-to improve my acquaintance will
the Reid family. / haunted the neigh
borhool of their house. On one or tw,
occasions l had the good fortune to en-
counter Mrs. Reid and her daughter IL
their own square. and my slavish devo
ton ON these meetings was at length re
warded by the elder lady's telling me il
ianguidiy agreeable tones that she wa
Eat home every Thursday evening.
thought then. in my joy, that surely her
was a royal road to n speedy and success
full courtshp, But after attending a
many of Mrs. Reds Thursday evening
a. dared, found myself no further O
the road to happiness; Ellie was 50 quiet